Bell-buoy.



w. B. ANDERSON.

BELL BUOY.

APPLICATION FILYED JUNE 3,1915.

Patented Apr. 1,1919;

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w. B. ANDERSON,

. BELL BUOY. 1

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1915 v Patented Apr. 1

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM B. ANDERSON, OF WEST BRIGHTON, NEW YORK.

BELL-BUOY.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

1 Application filed June 3, 1915. Serial No. 31,960.

To allwkom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. ANDER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Brighton, in the county ofRichmond, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bell-Buoys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such 'as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bell buoys.

The object of the invention is to provide a bell buoy embodying an improved construction whereby the .bell will ring intermittently irrespective of the fact whether the water is agitated or calm. f

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a bell lbuoy which will be simple in construction, reliable in action,

and easily set up and repaired.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of-parts to be hereinafter more fully ,described' 'and particularly pointed out in the appended clann.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a bell buoy constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2, a bottom view thereof;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the buoy;

Fig. 4, a horizontal section through the buoy;

Fig. 5, a vertical section of the buoy;

Fig. 6, a front view of the buoy;

Fig. 7, a fragmental perspective view of the buoy, and

Fig. 8, a fragmental perspective view of the water wheel employed in the buoy.

I Referring to the drawings the improved buoy is shown as comprising a body A including a top 10 and depending side portions inthe form of air tight casings 11 and 12. The ends of these casings 11 and 12 converge inwardly. An additional air tight casing 13 is rovided adjacent'the casing 11 so as to orm a relatlvely-narrow water passage 14 and a substantially still water space 15 at the rear of the casing 13. Secured to the bottom of the casing 11 is a plate 16 which also constitutes the bottom of the casing 13. The top 10 of the buoy is pro- =vided with an openlng 17 which is adapt ed to be closed by a hinged door 1 8, said door being secured in closed position in any suitable manner. Mounted upon this door 18 is a frame 19 which supports a bell 20. A plurality of clappers 21 are hung from the frame 19 in such manner that the motion of the buoy as same is rocked by the waves will swing the clappers into and out of engagement with the bell and ring the latter.

In order to effect ringing of the bell in case there is no motion of the wave type present in the water there is rotatably mounted between the plate 16 and a bearing 22 carried by a door 18 a vertical shaft 23 which extends through an opening 24 in the door '18 and has its upper end provided with a longitudinal recess 25 and teeth 26 surrounding said recess. The opening 21 in the door 18 is of sufficient size to allow said door to be opened without interference by the shaft 23. Loosely engaged in the recess 25 is a reduced extension 27 of another shaft 28, said last named shaft being provided on its lower end around the extension 27 with teeth 29 adapted to cooperate with the teeth 26 whereby rotation of the shaft 23 in one direction will produce a corresponding rotation of the shaft 28. -On the other hand rotation of the shaft 23 in the opposite direction, in the event the shaft 28 is resisted, will be inefiective to rotate said shaft 28.

Fixed on the shaft 23 is a water wheel B which includes a hollow hub 30 the buoyancy of which will support substantially the entire Weight of the wheel B and theshaft 23. Radiating from the hub 30 are a plurality of blades 31 the outer edges of which converge in the direction of the axis of the hub. Each of the blades 31 is provided with an opening 32adapted to be closed by a flap valve 33 disposed on the side of the blade which is adapted to receive the impact of the water due to the natural flow of the tide. The shaft 28 carries a cross arm 34 which, during the rotation of'the shaft 28 under the influence of the shaft 23 is adapted to engage and release one of the clappers 21. The front end of the body A is constituted by a plate 35 suitably arched and havin its terminals connected to the casings 11 an 12.

Secured to this plate 35 is a plurality of sistance to the rotation of the wheel.

and other floating material from passing between the casings 11 and 12 and engaging the wheel B. The casings 11 and 12 are connected by a chain 37 and this chain has connected thereto one end of an anchor chain 38 whereby the buoy may be anchored to swing with the tide.

In operation it will be apparent that the tide flow of the water passing beneath the top will engage the blades 31 on one side of the wheel B and rotate said wheel. The blades of the wheel moving opposite to the tide during such rotation will pass through the still water space 15 and offer littleTlife rotation of the shaft 23 under the influence of the rotation of the wheel B will effect r0- tation of the shaft 28 and the rotation of the latter will cause the arm 34 to intermittently engage and release one of the clappers 21 and thereby effect intermittent ringing of the bell. Should the wheel B, for any reason, be rotated in a reverse direction the arm 34 will of course engage one of the clappers 21 and force same against the bell and further rotation of the shaft 28 is thereby resisted. Under these conditions the shaft 23 can continue to rotate without effecting rotation of the shaft 28 and thus avoid break ing any of the parts of the buoy until the conditions surrounding the same become normal. By converging the outer edges of the blades 31 toward each other in an upward direction it will be apparent that fioating material that may have passed the fenders 36 can work its way by the wheel B without clogging the latter.

It will be noted that the hearing at the bottom of the shaft 23 is of the roller type and the rollers are indicated at 23'.

What is claimed is I11 a bell buoy, the combination with a horizontal current motorhaving a vertical shaft extending above the motor, of a support above the motor, a bell mounted in the support, clappers pendant from the support and arranged about the bell, a second shaft arranged coaxially with the motor shaft, clutch connections between the shafts for rotation of the second shaft with the motor shaft in one direction, and a cross arm carried by the second shaft and ar ranged for movement therewith when said shaft is moved with the motor shaft to initially engage a clapper and shift it away from the bell and to subsequently disengage itself from said clapper to permit movement of the clapper into engagement with the bell.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. ANDERSON.

Witnesses: I

JOHN F. TORMEY, JAMES T. I BOURKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. a 

